The sustainable management of wetland landscapes – University of Exeter

Research by the University of Exeter's Wetland Archaeology group has transformed our understanding of the significance of wetlands as exceptionally well-preserved but highly vulnerable records of past human achievement.

By informing public policy and advising planning and conservation bodies the group have played a major role in shaping management practices in the UK and internationally.

This includes work that informed the multi-agency Vision for Wetlands, emphasising the need for multi-agency working. An example of this is research involving collaborations with Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, the RSPB, and Wessex Archaeology in developing a major c. 1,500 hectare nature reserve, informing policies to increase public access to the countryside, and planning for the future of the 2012 Olympic Mountain Bike venue.